from Dave Lozo of NHL.com,

14. Minnesota Wild: The Wild have allowed 13 goals in three road games and nine goals in five home games. They are 4-0-1 in the State of Hockey, 0-2-1 when they cross state lines. They are struggling for consistency in what is looking like a far more competitive Northwest Division than the one that existed the past two seasons.

15. New York Islanders: Even with a brutal schedule to start the season (one team in eight with a losing record), the Islanders are playing well. A lot of their success is based on the power play, which went 0-for-7 Sunday to dip from 37.5 to 29.0 percent on the season. They won't have to leave the tri-state area for a game until Feb. 19 to face the Senators.

16. Nashville Predators: This team is an ink blot test; you look at it and you can see many different things. Maybe you see a team with 12 goals in eight games. Or maybe you see a team that's two shootout wins from a 5-2-1 record. Or maybe you see a team that has nine points in eight games despite injuries and a two-week road trip. It's open for interpretation.

read on for the top 13...